Where’s the Evidence?

A Challenge to Psychiatric Authority

In the summer of 2003, six activists took on the psychiatric establishment in a month of protest activities in Pasadena, California. They challenged the American Psychiatric Association, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the Office of the US Surgeon General to present scientific evidence of the biological basis of mental illness and the effectiveness of psychoactive drugs in its treatment. To dramatize their challenge, they participated in a three-week fast, sponsored a panel discussion by supportive scientists and engaged in multiple media contacts. They never received a satisfactory response to their challenge. This is their story.